


Pleasant Surprises

by Gingervivi



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 08:17:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5532281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gingervivi/pseuds/Gingervivi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ori disbanded the Inquisition and takes up Varric's offer for a place to stay in Kirkwall, but the city-state is hard to navigate by herself with two bags and one arm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pleasant Surprises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tayrodactyl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayrodactyl/gifts).



> Merry Christmas Tay! I hope you like it :>

Kirkwall. Years ago, or even a month ago, she hadn't imagined herself moving into Kirkwall, home of the Champion. The voyage over the sea hadn't been unpleasant, but she was thankful to have something solid under her feet. It was the equivalent of being dizzy and grabbing onto something to steady herself with. The smell of mold and grime was enough to make her nose scrunch up, too used to the soft smells of salt water through the travel. She could only hope that the rest of the city-state was in better condition than its docks.

Though, more importantly, Kirkwall being the home of the Viscount, who literally gave her an estate like it was no big deal, lived here. She had faith in him to step up in the role, but another part of her wondered if she'd be called on to help him at some point or if Hawke would be there to help him instead. Please let there be something for her to do here.

Her shoe caught on a rock on the road and one of her bags fell off her left shoulder with a loud thump. For good measure, kicking the stupid thing seemed like a good idea. They were infernal, irritable, and inane things of which their only goal in existence were to annoy her in the most frustrating way possible. Slipping off her shoulder like she was made of ice, she couldn't go ten feet without it falling off unless she leaned to her right dramatically enough that it drew strange stares.

"Let me," came a voice from behind her. The first thing she saw was a mop of white hair as the man leaned down and picked up her bag. The second was the brilliant green eyes and pointed ears. The elf gestured to her stump of an arm and said, "I assume it's recent."

"You have no idea," she said, almost reaching up to run a hand through her hair only to remember that her last partner literally took it from her. "Aren't you Fenris?"

By the roll of his eyes, she assumed she was right. "And you know this, how?" he asked her, seemingly more inconvenienced than annoyed. Ori knew that Varric's books were popular.

"I've read Varric's book."

He groaned for a moment, though it stopped abruptly like he remembered he was still in someone's company. "As most people have, it seems. And you are?"

"Ori," she guardedly said, not sure of any reaction these days. Just a few weeks ago, she'd except bows or curtsies, her title on their tongues accompanied with presents and pleasantries without end. 

"Where are you headed? I'll help you with your stuff."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I think it's in Hightown." Instantly, she regretted not asking Varric exactly where this free housing was. Part of her had suspected the new Viscount would come see her or send someone, but she started to realize that she just might not be used to being an ex-Inquisitor yet.

Fenris regarded her for a moment, looking her over. "You're sure?"

"That's the only thing I'm sure of, right now," she sighed, shifting the weight of the bag on her right shoulder. Neither bag weighed too much, though they weren't light either. Mostly filled with clothes, her armor, some memorabilia, and books. "You know where that is?"

"Do I, though we might stumble into trouble if you aren't sure which house is yours," Fenris said with a soft laugh. "You wouldn't believe how many times it happened to Hawke."

The image of the Champion accidentally stumbling into houses was an amusing thought, and one Ori found slightly entertaining, but she certainly did not like the idea of doing it herself. At least the Champion would be somewhat loveable in their own city. "I'm sure we'll figure it out somehow."

The walk from the docks to Hightown would be uninteresting had she gone alone. Fenris seemed more than happy to point out things he'd done in the places they passed. For instance, next to some statue, he fought with the Champion against a pride demon. And around just one corner, he recounted not just two, nor three, but many more attacks of some kind of cult called the "Followers of Her". When she asked who was "Her", he simply shrugged. 

"Who knows what people will follow these days," he said and part of her her had to agree. There had been thousands upon thousands of people that followed her to war, to death because they believed she was saved by Andraste herself, handpicked as a leader for the people, even when none would listen to her.

Despite what Varric had told Ori of Kirkwall, the radical divide of Hightown and Lowtown, the contrast of the segregated districts, they seemed to have seen their fair share of ruin. It was evident even after all the years. Of course, Hightown seemed to be recovering from it a lot more quickly than its poorer counterpart that struggled behind on the heels of healing. 

Still, she could certainly see Varric's handiwork in all of this. There were more guards in Lowtown and near the docks then there were in Hightown, from what she could see. From her past experiences in these kinds of places, that wasn't always the case. Most certainly she could recall how many guards were stationed in the marketplace in Val Royeaux and how many of them were more than enough to guard the rich that passed through. The amount of unneeded guards outnumbered how many small towns and villages had for guards all around.

Still, there were apparently enough in Hightown that the elf duo drew the attention of one.

"Ori Lavellan?" the guard asked, briefly nodding at her, a show of respect she could accept as an ex-Inquisitor. At least it wasn't a full sweeping bow.

"That's me."

"Good! Ah, I feared I missed you at the docks and I came here to find you."

"What if I had not found my way to Hightown?"

"In all honesty, it's rather hard not to. So long as you aren't going down any stairs or platforms, you end up in Hightown one way or another." Oh, this guard she liked. She wished there had been some like him in the Inquisition. Finally, his line of sight drifted and seemed to recognize her companion. "Nice to see you again, Fenris. Not causing any trouble?"

"Nothing Aveline wouldn't approve of. A game of cards later, Donnic?" Fenris offered. 

"Count on it. Now, miss Lavellan-"

Ori shook her head. "Lavellan is my clan name, not a last name, but I can understand the confusion." No matter how many times she tried to explain that to literally everyone in the Inquisition, it hadn't stuck. She was determined not to have that happen here as well. "Ori is fine."

He nodded and began to lead them away. "Alright, Ori, let's get you situated."

"I'm surprised to see you guiding anyone anywhere. Draw the short stick again?" 

"More like a favor for the Viscount. I still can't believe Varric is the head of this place some days," Donnic explained with a shake of his head.

A low hum sounded from Fenris, hand on his chin. She caught as his eyes flickered over to her. 

"I'm a friend of Varric's. We served together in the Inquisition," she explained and he opened his mouth slightly with a nod, like it was slightly unbelievable. "I needed a place to stay after the Inquisition disbanded and he offered me a house."

"In Hightown?"

"Said he won it in some bet. Gave me the key to the city as well. Apparently I now control chain nets in the harbor." At that, Fenris laughed and instantly a hand went to his mouth to hide the smile she caught a glimpse of. 

"Sounds just like him," he replied after a forced cough. "I should pay a visit to the dwarf sometime, see what I can get."

"You might want to settle that debt with him before you ask for anything too big," Donnic warned.

"You don't suppose he's just forgotten about it after all this time?" 

"That dwarf doesn't forget a thing. How did you get sucked into helping mis- ah, Ori, if not by Varric?"

"He offered to help, actually," Ori interjected, a smug smile on her face as Donnic pressed his lips together. 

"Of course." The guard led them through Hightown, though it wasn't too long until they reached her new home. It stood tall and wide, made of white stone and small windows, and looked as though it hadn't been touched in years. Ori turned to her two companions to find an amused guard and a grim elf.

"Maybe you should go ask for something big," Donnic said.

"Oh, that dwarf-" Fenris sucked in a breath of air and began to pace, still holding her bag.

"Is there a problem?" Ori asked.

"It seems your new home is- was my old home," Fenris explained though his tone told her he wanted to run off and strangle Varric. She knew the feeling. 

"Fenris, you are aware you couldn't have stayed there forever? You were a squatter and Aveline changed up guard rotations and ignored complaints to make sure you could stay there. I think this was the best outcome," Donnic said, a hand on his hip and a hand on his head, eyes bouncing side to side as he watched the elf continue to pace back and forth. After a moment, he turned to Ori. "A word of advice: replace the carpet."

"You're welcome to stay with me," Ori said to Fenris. "I'm not about to put you out of a place to stay just because Varric- Wait, how much did you owe him?" Surely a house, even one someone was squatting in, wasn't worth a few sovereigns in a bet.

Fenris stopped pacing. "Ah."

Oh man. "That much, huh?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You served with Varric in the Inquisition? Who exactly are you?"

Donic looked between the two, fairly confused. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

Donnic glanced over at Ori, like he was waiting for her permission to reveal it like some secret or for her to do it in his place. It wasn't like she came to Kirkwall to escape her history as the Inquisitor. She doubted there was a place in Thedas that could hide that sort of secret. She fought an Envy demon to save and lead the Templars, saved the Grey Wardens from themselves and a demon of nightmares, killed one of the Magisters of Old, and stopped the Qunari invasion. 

"I was the leader of the Inquisition."

A silence fell between them and Fenris looked at the ground thoughtfully. Probably realizing the fact he had been walking with the ex-Inquisitor unknowingly to his own house for the last hour, she guessed. Finally, with a sigh, Fenris combed his fingers through his hair and adjusted his grip on Ori's bag.

"Well, if someone's going to have this trash of a mansion, might as well be the Inquisitor. I've got to warn you though, there are more than a few stains on the walls," he said and gestured for Donnic to lead, who pulled a key out of his satchel and opened the door.

"What kind of stains?" she asked, following them both in. 

"Wine," Fenris answered, a slight pause in his step before he spoke again. "Mostly wine."

"Like I said, consider replacing the carpet. Maybe the wallpaper as well. Maker's breath, it's been forever since I stepped foot in this place." Donnic traced a line on the walls, a leaving a small line as the dust floated into the air.

"Same."

Ori coughed as she shut the door behind them, leaving only the light from the windows to brighten the place up. "I feel like Varric is pawning this place off on me," she said as she let her bag fall to the floor. At the sound, Fenris placed his bag down gently. 

"I'll stay, if you'll have me," Fenris offered. "This mess is mostly mine, it feels right if I stay to help out." 

Ori regarded the white haired man carefully. Another elf ready to make up for mistakes of the past. It almost seemed like a sign to turn him away and do this herself, but she couldn't, for some reason. Bad habits died hard, apparently. "Stay."


End file.
